Warning: contains a preview for Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #11!
While Star Wars‘ Bounty Hunters are used to mercilessly pursuing their quarry, the savage Bossk just woke up to realize he’s gone from hunter to hunted. Thankfully for him, being one of the galaxy’s greatest killers means he has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the hunters of the forest planet Malastare don’t know quite what’s in store for them as Bossk works to assert his rightful place at the top of the food chain.
Bounty Hunters is written by Ethan Sacks with art by Paolo Villanelli. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the bounty hunters formally recruited by Darth Vader to take down Han Solo continue their adventures. As comic event “War of the Bounty Hunters” approaches, Beilert Valance’s prior relationship with Han Solo has recently been explored in the series, and now he’s learned of Boba Fett’s intent to hand the scoundrel over to the merciless Jabba the Hutt, recruiting the assistance of rival bounty hunter Dengar to track the villain.
But a Marvel Comics preview of Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #11 reveals that as Dengar and Valance bargain over their new mission, fellow bounty hunter Bossk wakes up on Malastare, having been captured and used as prey in a deadly hunt. Bossk makes short work of his Gran hunter, and clearly intends to forge his fellow prey into a competent fighting unit, but there’s a larger evil coordinating the hunt, and this mysterious figure may pose a risk even to Star Wars‘ most savage bounty hunter.
As Beilert Valance hunts one of the most acclaimed killers in Star Wars lore, fans can get excited for the potential of a story set at this point in time. In current continuity, the writers have a unique amount of freedom to work within the confines of this era, and unlike some Star Wars titles, key characters could easily be killed off at any point. With the obvious reality that Valance and Han never share the screen together in the saga, it seems plausible that the honorable bounty hunter’s days are numbered.
But the issue will mostly focus a spotlight on Bossk, exploring his savage drives and skills ahead of “War of the Bounty Hunters.” It’s a rarity in Star Wars to see a character choose a bladed weapon, but the Trandoshan bounty hunter is an instinctual killer, and one who’s about to be put through his paces by the Great Hunt of Malastare. The bounty hunters’ upcoming war will see them competing for Han Solo’s frozen body, with the legendary Boba Fett (Bossk’s former protege) competing to keep his prize. Fett is a character with enormous fan support behind him, and Star Wars: Bounty Hunters is taking the opportunity to give some real weight to his competitors ahead of their clash. As Valance and Dengar hatch their plan, and Bossk shows he’s capable of taking on blaster-wielding hunters with just a knife, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #11 promises to showcase some of the deadliest characters in a galaxy far, far away, releasing April 14.
